Jessica Cheng

Jessica Cheng is Assistant General Manager at Lui Che Woo Prize for World Civilisation. A total of US$7.7 million is awarded to three laureates under the areas of Sustainability, Welfare Betterment and Positive Energy. The prize, established in 2015, recognises individuals and organisations anywhere in the world that have made outstanding contribution to the building of a better world for all.

Jessica manages the selection process with a 3-tier selection committee, and develops the prize’s network of nominators which consists of a global body of academic, international organisation and civil society organisation leaders. The prize has recognised several laureates who are improving outcomes for women and girls, including Landesa and Pratham Education Foundation.

Landesa, the 2017 LUI Che Woo Prize laureate for Welfare Betterment, fights poverty and provides opportunity and security for communities through the power of land rights. Recognising how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates existing gender inequalities, Landesa is implementing programs to empower women through land rights and access to legal services. Pratham, the 2018 LUI Che Woo Prize laureate for Positive Energy, works to improve the quality of education in India, where an estimated 4 million girls are out of school, and of those who do attend primary school, 80% drop out before reaching eighth grade. Pratham works with girls and their families, providing access to secondary education for female school dropouts over the age of 14 in underserved communities.

Jessica has also been a MacArthur Foundation 100&Change Wise Head Panel member, evaluating applications for a single US$100 million grant to help solve one of the world’s most critical social challenges.